As Waterloo Region’s first net-zero community building, the Kitchener Public Library Southwest Branch aims to set a precedent not just for how public institutions can operate, but how they can communicate sustainability and belonging through design.

The new Kitchener Public Library Southwest Branch by mcCallumSather aims to redefine the idea of a civic landmark, and is Waterloo Region’s first net-zero community building.

Architect Willems Ransom of mcCallumSather describes the project as “a library that listens” to the land it sits on, to Indigenous and community voices, and to the rhythms of its environment. From the early sketches, the design team asked how a building could embody listening in both metaphor and mechanics, and the result was a single-storey, light-filled structure that feels “as responsive as it is responsible.”

Read the full article: https://www.canadianarchitect.com/mccallum-sather-unveils-waterloo-regions-first-net-zero-community-building/